Chapter Text
Silence fills the air as Eren is left wide-eyed and speechless. Perspiration begins to form on his forehead and a drop slid down his face. Shit.
The hand that had been trailing it’s way down his back now moved forward. Traversing up the boy’s chest to grip firmly around his throat. Eren’s neck was forced to stretch up and his head to tilt back at an uncomfortable angle. Forced to look almost directly up, Eren’s eyes were only able to make out the ceiling and a slight haze of the sky between the pillars . Cloth brushes ominously against Eren’s side as the demon passes under the boy’s outstretched arm, not once releasing the pressure exerted against his throat.
Eren unconsciously screws his eyes shut and tries to force himself to calm down and keep from trembling.
“Oi,” an impatient voice calls from in front of him, “I asked you a question.”
Flinching at his tone like a nervous rabbit, Eren forces his eyes to open. He sees the illuminated Pavilion ceiling and an orange-pink sky in his peripheral view. Uncertain eyes take their time in dropping any lower, not quite ready to actually see the demon he had had so many nightmares about as a child.
No. I need to do this. I will look the damn thing in it’s eyes till the end. I won’t lose.
The fingers around his throat made it too difficult for him to bend his head forward so he casts his eyes down, the planes of his cheeks coming into sight along with… nothing. His eyebrows furrow together and confusion spreads over the teen as his eyes quickly scan from right to left again. There really was nobody in front of him.
What the hell? That’s impossible!, worry washes over Eren in a flash. Am I hallucinating this?
The fingers around his neck twitch as if to remind him of their existence and Eren feels an odd sense of relief followed immediately by distress. Maybe it would be better if I were crazy…
Eren narrows his eyes as a new thought forms in his head, Don’t tell me he’s invisible!
A groan escapes from the boy’s mouth as he thinks it over and his eyes fall shut in a disappointed grimace. Damn. It’s the only thing that makes sense! I should have expected something like this, he is a demon after all. Killing this bastard just got significantly harder.
The hand around his throat suddenly releases and Eren begins gulping in air he didn’t realize he had needed so badly. A second later knuckles knock roughly against his temple creating a dull sound.
“Do you have shit for brains or something?”, The deep voice questions Eren and then mutters under his breath, “Is that the reason you’re tied up? So you wouldn’t fall over…?”
Eren’s eyes snap open angrily at the rude comment, opening his mouth to speak, but the retort dies immediately on his tongue. Now slightly bent over from regaining his breath, Eren was able to see what he had missed before.
“You’re not invisible…” Eren’s words fade out awkwardly at the end as he realizes why he had previously overlooked the demon- literally- the demon was much shorter than he had expected. If it hadn’t been for the constant sense of power he was emitting, Eren would have doubted he was a demon at all.
Aren’t they supposed to be gigantic, red, and hideous? Not…this…
Standing before him was a man a few inches shorter than Eren. Dark tones of black and midnight blue fabric was loosely draped across his shoulders drawing in to tightly hug his toned chest and torso. It didn’t take a genius to see that he was powerfully sculpted. Black ink appeared to inch up one side of his neck, a silken white cord also visible around his neck. Silky raven black locks framed his pale, icy face, which appeared to be permanently etched with a scowl.
…A scowl that was currently being directed at Eren.
Eren realized his mouth was hanging slightly open and closed it so fast his teeth clacked together.
Turning on his heel the demon let out an annoyed sigh, ”And now I am reminded precisely why I wait till it’s over to come out.”
“Where are you going?”
No answer, the raven haired demon just kept walking towards the woods.
“Hey! You can’t just leave me here!” Eren cried out without thinking and immediately felt his stomach drop. He was still alive! the demon was leaving! What the hell made him call out?
Stupid stupid stupid.
A pale face turns to face him, standing out in the increasingly dark surroundings. He doesn’t say anything.
Eren gulps, wondering how far he can push his luck. Maybe his whole life he had just been saving it up for this moment. Hell, this had to be his just rights for being chosen as a sacrifice as birth.
Please hold out luck....”At least untie me…?” It comes out as more of a pathetic question and Eren clears his throat to try again, angry with himself.
Before he gets a chance to speak, however, a gust of wind shoots past his right side, skimming his face. His right arm drops numbly to his side.
Shit shit! I pissed him off. Why did I have to call out?! Why did I have to tell him what to do? Dammit this is exactly why Mikasa always calls me an idiot!
A tingling sensation runs down his arm, pins and needles ruthlessly pricking along it causing Eren to pause his thoughts and pay attention the limb, now relaxed at his side. Relaxed at his side. His arm. At his side.
Eren stares dumbly at it for a few seconds before quickly looking up just in time to see the back of the demon disappearing into the dense trees ahead. It takes him a few more seconds to work enough life back into his hand so that he is able to untie the rope suspending his left arm. He gently massaged his hands together before rubbing them up and down his arms.
Night had fallen and it was beginning to get chilly out; being half naked only made it worse. Stupid offering ceremony.
But still… Eren’s face broke out into a smile. He was alive… He alone had lived past the demon.
The moon revealed itself from behind dim clouds, causing the golden items surrounding Eren to glimmer in a soft light. Wait.
Eren’s eyebrows pulled down as he frowned. Why had the demon left the treasures? He never had before. All that was reported left in the morning was a disgusting massacre of the human offering. And on that topic, why had the demon let him live?
Eren couldn’t come up with an answer, after all…he…actually didn’t seem that bad. For a demon, of course. Eren reassured himself. A little rude maybe, and definitely intimidating… but he did cut me free…so he can’t be all bad, right?
“Urghhh” Eren let out a groan and rubbed at his temples. He was overthinking this. He was free, and that was what mattered. Heaving a sigh, the teen suddenly felt drained. Too much stress for one day.
Walking down the steps of the Pavilion, the weary teen began the trek back home. Anything was better than staying here.
He had almost made it to the winding dirt path that led back to town when a loud snap came from the forest area directly right of it.
Eren froze.
It had sounded like a large branch breaking…maybe one had broken off a tree? Eren doubted it even as he thought it…more like something was in those woods…he suddenly got an intense feeling that something was watching him.
Eyes darting along the nearly black treeline, Eren nervously licked his dry lips, “Is anyone there? Is that you…? Demon man…?”
Sickly yellow orbs lit up against the black backdrop. Eren took an unsteady step back towards the Pavilion.
“…Demon?” He whispered hopefully.
Something large and black pried itself loose from the shadows of the forest and into the weak light provided by the moon, once again hidden by clouds.
It wasn’t like anything he had ever seen before, it was the kind of dark creature the boundary spells were able to keep away from the town. The kind of creatures that most townsfolk, content to never leave the boundaries, forget even exist. The kind of creature Eren had never really believed in.
The teen couldn’t help it as his breath began to come out in quick, terrified puffs.
The pure aura of depravity and death immersing the thing was enough to strike fear into a person, let alone the savage teeth sharply jutting out from matted tufts of greasy black fur.
It creeped forward with limbs bent at awkward, impossible angles. Even the way it walked was strange and deformed, a sort of jilted crawl that Eren couldn’t take his eyes off of. A moment later he realized what was so off about it.
The thing had six legs.
The excessive legs really shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to Eren, considering it was a dark creature, but it filled him with a sense of dreadful, inescapable, reality. This was really happening.
So much for saving my luck…
The mouth gaped open and a tongue too long for comfort slithered out, tasting the air before stretching out directly towards Eren, who was standing in a daze a few yards away.
A rotten stench filled Eren’s nose, snapping him out of it as he fell another step back.
Okay. Calm down. You just need to think. Think. Think dammit!!
The beast took another step towards him.
Screw thinking! Impulsively, Eren spun on his heel and sprinted full speed back to the Pavilion. He stumbled up the steps and slid to his knees, frantic hands sifting through the piles of riches.
A guttural noise came from behind the boy and he could hear the thing coming closer, the rustling limbs reaching over each other, the wet sound of it’s tongue slowly retracting and stretching again and again and again with each step, the-
Concentrate! Eren tried to tune out the creature behind him. A weapon, come on! There has to be something!
Delicate bowls of fruit spilled across the marble floor, jewlery following after as trinket after trinket was flung away.
Anything!
The sounds behind him grew louder and louder until it felt like the thing was directly behind him, breathing down his neck. Louder. Louder. Closer. Closer. Silence.
The creature had came to a stop, a tensing sound filled Eren’s ears as he realized what was about to happen.
Eren dove forward, his hand stretching out to grab the first thing it could before twisting around on his knees just in time to see the creature midair, leaping at him. He jabbed the metal item away from his body as a last ditch effort to save himself.
The impact of the creature hitting his makeshift weapon created a force so strong Eren was thrown flat on his back, knees sliding apart to accommodate as he went skidding into the rest of the offerings. The creature twitched slightly, suspended above him, but then stopped moving altogether….It had been impaled by the cylindrical offering. Eren couldn’t remember if the other side was pointed or not, hell he didn’t even get enough of a look at the thing to know what it was…but it may have just saved his life.
Eren’s arms trembled at the weight of pushing his weapon upward against the creature on top of him, and slowly weakened until they were braced on the ground. His forearms bent up at the elbow so that he could still desperately grip the cool metal of his weapon.
Something warm trickled down Eren’s fingers and it took him a moment to realize it was blood. Blood from the monster.
What the hell…Is it really dead? That was way too easy, right?
Suddenly, as if released, the creature sunk down to further rest upon Eren, a revolting squelching sound filled the air and the cylindrical object Eren now recognized as a slim candlestick, sunk further into the creature’s chest.
He struggled to keep his grip, but it became increasingly difficult as more and more blood flowed onto him causing his hands slip. The carcass above him descended to rest on top of Eren, its absurd weight forcing him down into the unforgiving stone floor. It was as if the creature’s insides were caramel, allowing the cylinder to push in without much resistance at all.
The entry wound had reached where Eren’s hands were holding on to the candlestick.
Unable to release the weapon out of fear that weight of the creature above him would force it to impale through his stomach as well, the wound Eren had created began to swallow up his hands along with the rest of the metal candlestick.
Blood cascaded down onto Eren, an insipid warmth compared to the chill outside.
His hands were now fully embedded in the beast as it finally came to a rest completely atop him. With his arms unable to pull back, Eren found that his hands were trapped within the creature’s body. His back and shoulders were pressed completely to the ground and he was pinned down by the massive dead weight of the creature. It quickly grew difficult for Eren to breathe.
“Great. Just fucking great.” Eren cursed, his breath coming out in painful gasps, “Just my luck.”
He felt like his entire chest was being crushed, lungs compressed tightly, forcing him to take shallow breaths. It didn’t take long for a burning sensation to begin spreading like wildfire through his lungs. He lost strength in his limbs and his head lulled weakly to the side, wheezing frantically, his body burning up.
Just as his vision began to fade, a pair of black leather boots stride towards him and he feels the creature on top of him budge.
“Oi brat, you still alive down there?”
The enormous weight was rolled off of Eren’s body and his hands slid free from the wound. The teen immediately curled in on himself, gasping for air. Dry coughs racked his body from the sudden intake of air and Eren’s eyes widen in panic as he hyperventilates.
His fingers reach up to claw uselessly at his throat, tears threatening to spill over.
The demon crouches down to his level and stiffly pats the boy’s shoulder.
“You need to calm the fuck down. Take deep breaths.”
Eren only stared back at him with scared eyes, harsh breaths rasping out between erratic half coughs.
“Deep breaths” The demon repeats himself, louder this time, and mimics breathing in and out.
Listening to the demon’s voice and breathing was calming and Eren felt his heart rate begins to slow and the coughs subside as chilled air started to circulate through his lungs again.
“…Thanks,” he wheezed.
The demon looked slightly put off by his words of thanks and swiftly stood up, looking away, “Tch. It was nothing.”
The demon looked over at the impaled creature next to Eren, his eyes expertly scanning the body. A delicate eyebrow rose up and he let out a soft whistle, “Shit, you actually managed to hit it’s vital point.”
“Vital point?” Eren repeated.
“It’s only got one, bust it and it’s dead, miss and you only piss it off. You’re fucking lucky you’re not dead right now, kid.”
“Lucky…” Figures.
“Wait…” Eren looked up at the demon before pushing himself up to his feet, “Why are you back here?”
“To collect my shit.” The demon said as if it was the obvious answer, looking at Eren as if he was a special kind of dumb.
All of a sudden Eren couldn’t contain his numerous questions anymore, they bubbled up one after another.
“…So why didn’t you just get it in the first place? How are you even gonna move all this? Why did you let me live? No wait.” An increasingly cold glare spread from Eren’s eyes as his questions spilled out, “Why did you kill the others?”
The demon didn’t answer at first, his face icing over into an infuriating indifferent stare, gazing emotionlessly back.
“I didn’t kill them.”
“Then what did?” Eren retorts heatedly, images of the massacres described to him fill his mind to the brim.
The demon’s eyes slid left to the carcass and Eren follows his gaze, dumbfounded… All this time that thing had been killing them??
The next words spoken, however, chill Eren to the bone.
“I just didn’t save them.”
Immediately Eren felt something in him snap, the cold fear sparking into fiery fury. He could feel his body begin to tremble in rage.
“You mean they died for nothing? For your own sick fucking entertainment?! What, do you stand in the forest and watch as they get ripped apart? As they scream and cry for help? The fuck is wrong with you?… you really are a demon, you think that just because you weren’t the one who landed the blows you’re free of responsibility? No. Their blood is on your hands.” Eren’s eyes narrow to indignant slits, “or does that turn you on?”
Something shifted in the demon’s stance and icy waves of barely contained rage billow off him but Eren didn’t stop there.
“I swear to God I’m gonna kill you. I’ll wipe you off the face of this earth. You’re nothing but a- an evil demonic sicko!”
Despite his slightly weak attempt at name calling, Eren’s fists shot up as if of their own accord and he dropped into a fighting stance.
“You really think that’s a good idea?” the demon growls back at him coldly, mockingly, “You really think you can beat an ‘evil demonic sicko’ like me? Don’t joke around, you barely even killed that creature, and even then you would have been crushed to death without my help. Ignorant brats should learn when to shut their shithole mouths.”
“Oh yeah?” Eren taunted back, irate, “What, you want me dead now?”
The demon only stared back.
“Well?! Kill me then,” He spread his arms out, his eyes challenging, “Go ahead and try.”
The next thing Eren knew, his back was on the ground again, the demon crouching over him. Stars danced in front of his eyes and Eren felt a sharp pain run through his skull. Eren groaned and tried to force his exhausted and battered body to move but his wrists were trapped together, unrelentingly held in one of the demon’s hands and he had long since been running on adrenaline alone. He lifted his head up in an attempt to throw the demon off his body, but his limbs soon went weak and his head slammed back against the stone floor. The corners of his vision began to grow darker and quickly spread until all he could see was a fuzzy black and he felt himself slipping down.
——
Levi looked down at the boy trapped beneath him. His chest rose and fell gently but other than that the kid didn’t move.
“Oi.” The demon found himself calling out. He nudged the boy’s body. No response. Levi released the hands he had been holding hostage and watched as they flopped limply down.
I guess I went too far… He hadn’t meant to lose his temper but the kid had just pissed him off so fucking much.
Levi sighed.
He stood and stared down at the collapsed boy for a few moments, deciding what to do before reaching down, lifting him up, and carrying him off into the woods.
——
The kid still wasn’t awake by the time Levi had reached his home, so he put a fresh sheet on one of his black leather couches and set the boy’s resting form on top.
Silver eyes stared down at the boy, trailing across his face and lingering on his filthy blood-stained chest.
Disgusting, he told himself.